


Bands on the Road

by AVegetarianCannibal



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1990s, Alternate Universe - Boy Band, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 17:37:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18393167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AVegetarianCannibal/pseuds/AVegetarianCannibal
Summary: In a sequel toBoys in Bands, Hannibal and Will are on tour with their boy bands in 1999. As they try to keep their romance private, a killer fan will do anything to get Hannibal's attention.





	Bands on the Road

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ColorfulMetaphor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorfulMetaphor/gifts).



Will stood in front of the hotel room door, the hood of his jacket pulled up to hide most of his face, and knocked for the third time. They had to be back on the tour bus in a couple of hours... What could possibly be taking Hannibal so long?

Just when Will feared he must have gotten the room number wrong, the door flew open and Hannibal yanked him inside by the front of his jacket.

"About time!" he just managed to say before Hannibal pulled him into a fierce kiss. His hair was wet and dripped onto Will's brow.

"You were late," Hannibal said, moving down to nip lightly at Will's neck. "So I decided to take a shower."

Will groaned. "Jimmy and Brian had their friend Beverly on the bus. I think they were trying to set me up with her."

Hannibal pulled back and gave him a look of melodramatic shock. "Should I be jealous?"

Will laughed and shook his head. "I finally blurted out that I had explosive food poisoning and didn't want to let loose in the bus lavatory. I barely saw their disgusted faces as I ran away."

Hannibal kissed the water off his forehead. "One day we'll be able to just tell everyone the truth."

"Yeah," Will sighed. "One day."

* * *

The tour for Back Street Underdogs and M*PATH was going well, as far as Will could tell. Jack Crawford seemed happy enough with the tickets and merchandise sales, and three new dates had been added in the Midwest. Will put on a good face, but inwardly he groaned. It was torture being on the tour bus with Hannibal and not being able to lean over and kiss him whenever he wanted. At least if they were back home in New York, they could hole up in either of their apartments for a few days instead of sneaking a night in hotel rooms.

Will voiced his complaints to Hannibal one night in bed.

Hannibal thought it over for a while, then got up to hook up his laptop modem and sit down at the room's tiny desk.

"What are you doing?" Will asked, not even bothering to keep the pout out of his voice. "I only have another hour with you, tops."

"I'm checking something," Hannibal said. "Come see."

Will grumbled, but went over to sit in Hannibal's lap. "What on earth are you doing?"

"I discovered an AIM chat room devoted to discussing us," Hannibal said. "I call myself WillsFan99. Nobody knows who I really am."

Will blushed and draped one arm over Hannibal's shoulders. "You're so ridiculous."

"Ridiculously in love," Hannibal corrected him. He opened a text file. "I've saved a log of the chats---here, this is what I wanted to show you."

As Will began to read, he wasn't really sure what he was seeing. It seemed like a lot of nonsense and abbreviations he didn't understand. Slowly, he adjusted his mindset and let a feeling of understanding come over him. People---a lot of them, it seemed---were wishing he and Hannibal would date each other.

Will gasped. "Hannibal... you didn't say anything about us, did you?"

"Of course not," Hannibal said. "But half these people are rooting for us to fall in love. They came to that desire entirely on their own, I assure you."

Hannibal scrolled down, letting him read more of the chat log. Something caught his eye.

"Go back up a little---who's that?" He pointed at the screen. "MrAbelGLecter? Some relation of yours?"

"It's common for fans to adopt our last names as if they were married to us," Hannibal explained. "I wouldn't pay him any attention."

Hannibal moved to close the file, but Will plucked his hand off the touch pad.

 **MrAbelGLecter:** Back Street Underdogs should be opening for M*PATH not the other way around.  
**PerryAAA:** this rm is for discssing will + hannibal not band rivalry  
**MrAbelGLecter:** Will could never truly understand Hannibal. Just read TattleBands' web page.  
**K_from_Texas:** the chic that runs that page is a hack  
**PerryAAA:** 4 real she writes all the 'stories' herslef and posts them under dif names  
**MrAbelGLecter:** I happen to know at least 1 of them is true, and I'll prove it

"What's TattleBands?" Will asked. "What story is this guy talking about?"

"It's merely an eyesore of a gossip page on GeoCities," Hannibal said. "I just wanted you to see that we have a lot of fans who wouldn't mind if we went public. I want you to be able to relax when we're together."

"You know what'd really help me relax?" Will asked. Hannibal arched an eyebrow. "Another trip to the bed."

He hopped up and pulled Hannibal to his feet. They had less than an hour together and Will was going to make it count.

* * *

On his way out of the hotel, he made a stop in the business center. Luckily, nobody else was there at such a late hour, so he had the room to himself.

Still, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder as he sat down at one of the computers. He started Internet Explorer and typed in http://www.geocities.com/tattlebands.

Once the page finished loading its abundance of dancing gifs and a midi file of M*PATH's "I'm a Killer, Baby," Will saw the flashing red announcement.

Underneath that was a story comparing several deaths to lyrics in "I'm a Killer, Baby." The author hadn't gotten everything right, but even one correct guess was one too many. What if someone took the claims seriously? Had Hannibal covered his tracks well enough?

With his thoughts racing at a thousand miles an hour, Will cleared the browser history and powered off the computer. Then, just for good measure, he threw back his head and let out a summary of his feelings: "Fuck!"

* * *

The next three days were a whirlwind of concerts and interviews, allowing him exactly zero time to talk to Hannibal or check the TattleBands page for any updates.

At the end of it, they had a shared photo shoot with someone from _People_ magazine. The photographer said he wanted to capture their supposed rivalry "but in a fun way." Apparently, it involved dressing both of them in satin shorts and boxing gloves.

"We need to talk," Will mouthed while partially hiding his face behind a glove.

Hannibal playfully jabbed at him and mouthed back, "About what?"

"I'll tell you later," Will said, forgetting to hide his face this time.

"Tell him what?" asked the photographer.

"Stuff about his band's song order," Will lied. "They need to mix it up. Make it more different than ours."

Hannibal pantomimed another jab while the camera shutter clicked. "BSU goes on after M*PATH. He doesn't want to look like he's copying us."

Will threw a fake punch.

The photographer dropped to a crouch, shooting them from below. "Any comments about the rumors? You two are actually dating? The World Wide Web is buzzing about it."

"Dating whom?" Hannibal asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Each other," the photographer said.

"People like to fantasize," Hannibal said with a wink.

Will copied his tone. "Who are we to either kill or feed those fantasies?"

The studio door swung open and Tobias Budge strode inside. He looked calm, but Will could sense something simmering beneath the surface.

"Give me a moment with my client," Budge said, glancing first at the photographer, then at Will.

The photographer opened his mouth, most likely to protest, but the look Budge shot him had him all but running from the room.

Will started to back out, too, but Hannibal caught his hand.

"Will can stay," Hannibal said. "You know my manager, don't you, Will?"

Budge looked furious. "This is about the St. Louis Police Department showing up outside my hotel room door."

"Will can stay," Hannibal said again, this time with an edge as hard as steel.

Budge told them about a murder that had taken place after one of their recent shows. It had been staged to resemble a scene out of M*PATH's video for "I'm a Killer, Baby." Three people were dead, and it appeared to be the second such tableau from the same perpetrator. Now the police wanted answers.

"They can't possibly suspect Hannibal," Will said, very much aware that Hannibal was still holding his hand.

"They want to know if he's received any strange fanmail," Budge said.

"Have you talked to Randall or Matthew?" Hannibal asked. "I'm not the only member of the band."

Budge rolled his eyes. "Those idiots? You know as well as I do that you're the one who inspires the most... _dedicated_... of fans. Is someone trying to catch your eye, Hannibal?"

Will thought back to the chat room, but a glance from Hannibal told him to stay quiet.

"Thousands of people try to catch my eye at every show," Hannibal said. "Release a statement to the press if people seem to be clamoring for it. I'm appalled and heartbroken. I appreciate all our fans and can't believe they would ever do such a thing."

"I've hired security to guard your room," Budge said. "Try to stay in the public eye until he gets there." He glanced down at Will and Hannibal's clasped hands. "But not too public."

* * *

They ignored Budge and went directly to the hotel. Only when they got to the room did Hannibal realize he'd left his key card at the studio.

"Want me to go back for it?" Will asked.

Hannibal shook his head. "I'll just get another from the front desk."

While Hannibal did that, Will ducked into the business center. There were a couple of other people using the fax machine, so he picked the computer furthest away from them and got online.

Will had to dig his nails into his palms to keep from cursing aloud.

This time, the killer had left a typed note with some lyrics from the song they'd taken as their inspiration.

_You could never h **A** te me_  
_Even though I'm a killer, ba **B** y._  
_I know you know it, too._  
_I am you,_  
_I am you._  
_I'm a kill **E** r, **L** ike you._

The pictures from the crime scene looked almost exactly like the second scene from M*PATH's video. Someone was definitely trying to get Hannibal's attention.

* * *

By the time they finally got into Hannibal's room, Will was a nervous wreck. He felt like he wanted to jump out of his skin.

"Darling, calm down," Hannibal said.

Will was pacing. "How the hell am I supposed to calm down? Obviously you didn't do this, but what if cops dig around into your past? What if they find something you _did_ do?"

Hannibal stepped in front of him and took him by the shoulders. "Feel my calm," he said, his voice low and soothing. His hands moved to the sides of Will's face, holding him so gently. "My emotions are yours."

Will closed his eyes and imagined himself as Hannibal. He was as placid as a lake on a windless evening. Cool and even... serene... _controlled_. Will stepped into the feeling, let it wash over him.

Hannibal's hands moved from his face, down to his chest, his touch light but purposeful.

"You know, I _was_ starting to be calmer," Will said, cracking open one eye.

"And now?" Hannibal asked, thumbs circling Will's nipples.

"Definitely more on the horny side of things," Will said. "Now, take off your pants."

* * *

He was sound asleep when a loud pounding at the door startled him awake.

"Hannibal Lecter, open up!" came a booming voice. "St. Louis police! We just need to ask you a few questions."

"Open the door, Hannibal." This time it was Tobias Budge. "There's been another tableau. The security guard I hired... he's dead."

Will sat up. He reached for Hannibal, but he was already getting out of bed and putting his robe on.

"Stay there," Hannibal said. "I'll be right back."

But he wasn't right back. Will watched helplessly as Hannibal followed two police officers out into the hallway and let the door close behind him. Will heard their voices fading as they walked away, and then the distant ding of the elevator.

He felt paralyzed until that moment, and finally sprang up, pulling a sheet around his body. He half ran, half stumbled towards the door and threw it open. The elevator doors were already closing, taking Hannibal away from him.

Will felt the panic drop away from him. Replacing it was a cold, steely rage.

He started up Hannibal's laptop and, after laboriously connecting to the web, logged into the TattleBands page. There was already a new story up, detailing the guard's grisly murder and display in front of a mausoleum in a nearby cemetery. Accompanying it were photos and fresh accusations against Hannibal.

Will was thinking clearly now. Either whoever ran this page was the real killer, or they had a connection to the killer. There was no other way they could have gotten the story---not to mention the photos---so quickly.

He scrolled down to the previous story and reread it. He'd missed it before in his haste, but the killer had signed his name to his creation.

He composed an E-mail with Hannibal's HotMail account.

To: MissLounds@GeoCities.com  
From: HLPRIVATE98@hotmail.com  
Subject: Accessory to murder?

This is Will Graham. You might doubt me, so let me clear that up. I know you're working with the killer who's trying to frame Hannibal. He or she is giving you exclusives. You want to avoid being charged as an accessory to murder? Tell me how to find the M*PATH fan commonly known as MrAbelGLecter.

A mere five minutes later, there was a reply in the inbox.

To: HLPRIVATE98@hotmail.com  
From: MissLounds@GeoCities.com  
Subject: re: Accessory to murder?

You're lucky I'm too pretty for prison, Mr. Graham.

You can find him at the St. Louis Hilton. I don't know the room number, but you seem like a bright young man.

Speaking of which, if you try to tell the police about me, I'll tell everyone about your secret romance. Your career will be deader than the murder victims.

Love and kisses,  
FL

* * *

Will sat in room 455 at the St. Louis Hilton, gloved hands on the armrests of the chair. On the nightstand beside him, Abel Gideon's laptop hummed noisily.

A little over an hour passed before the door finally opened and the man who'd caused him such trouble walked in.

Will scoffed when he realized who it was. "You're the photographer from earlier today."

Gideon tried not to seem too surprised at his presence. He spread his hands in concession. "Guilty as charged." He shut the door gestured at his own head. "Took me a second to recognize you with the..."

"Oh, the wig," Will said. "Yeah, I didn't want to be recognized."

Gideon gave him an exaggerated pout. "I suppose you're here to find out why I did it."

"Nah," Will said. "You wanted to imagine yourself as Hannibal--or as what you perceive him to be. This would, you hoped, make him notice you. See, I have a lot of empathy."

"Hm?"

"Most people think it's the same thing as sympathy," Will said, "but it means I can see from anybody's point of view."

"Like mine?" Gideon asked.

Will nodded. "And like the police's, too. I've already left a trail of you on several web pages, and said goodbye to your chat room friends and enemies."

"That doesn't necessarily give Hannibal an alibi for the murders," Gideon pointed out.

"That's been taken care of, too," Will said. "Or, rather, it's about to be. If it's any comfort, you were right about one thing."

Gideon raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I _am_ dating Hannibal," Will said, and it was the last thing Abel Giden would ever hear.

* * *

After ditching the gloves and wig, he walked a few blocks down from the Hilton and hailed a cab. "Police station," he said to the driver.

Tobias Budge met him on the front steps. "This is a mistake."

"You don't know what I'm going to do," Will said, brushing past him on the way inside.

"I have some idea," Budge said, trailing behind him.

A young woman with red hair had been sitting on a bench near the entrance, but she hopped up as they approached her. She thrust her hand out to Will. "Freddie Lounds. We met... briefly." She was beaming with self-satisfaction. It made her positively radiant.

"I'm actually glad you're here," Will said. He ignored her offer of a handshake.

A frown flickered across her face. "You are?"

"I need to talk to whoever's questioning Hannibal Lecter!" He shouted it towards the bullpen. A few curious detectives looked up from their desks. One of them picked up a phone. "I have important evidence about the recent murders!"

Tobias Budge groaned behind him.

A few minutes later, a door down the hall opened and two men in rumpled suits walked out with Hannibal. He wasn't in cuffs, but he looked exhausted. They hadn't let him change out of his robe. Freddie Lounds pulled a camera out of her bag.

"Have they asked you yet where you were?" Will asked.

Hannibal glanced at the detectives. "I told them I couldn't remember. The concerts are incredibly tiring, as you know."

"Well, good thing I remember," Will said. He reached into his pocket for all the hotel room receipts he'd held onto. "He was with me. We were sleeping off fantastic orgasms when you barged in and took him away, in fact. If you want to take me to a hospital, there might still be some of his DNA in my stomach."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lounds drop back down onto the bench with an angry huff.

The two detectives gawped at each other as one of them took the receipts from Will's hands.

"Well!" Hannibal said after a long silence had passed. "I suppose that means we're public now!"

"We're gonna have to see if this check out," one detective said. "You just... sit tight. Don't go anywhere."

"Sure thing," Will said.

He took Hannibal's hand and together they sat beside Lounds on the bench. She was studiously avoiding looking at either of them. Her pale cheeks were spotted with red. Her lips were pursed tight as if sealing in a scream.

"We haven't met," Hannibal said, extending a hand towards Lounds.

Will moved his hand away. "She runs that TattleBands page. She's mad I took away the power of a threat she made and there's nothing she can do about it without getting into trouble."

Her head snapped up and she finally glared at him eye to eye. "I'll post terrible reviews of your CDs," she hissed.

"I look forward to reading them," Will said.

Without another word, she got to her feet, stomped halfway down the hall, turned back around to take a picture of them, and then finished stomping the rest of the way out of the building.

"What was all that about?" Hannibal asked.

"I'll explain later," Will said. Then he leaned in and kissed his boyfriend.

* * *

He was sprawled halfway across Hannibal in post-coital bliss, ready to fall asleep for the next 12 hours, but somebody else had other ideas.

"You said you'd explain."

"It was the photographer," Will said, barely suppressing a yawn. "Also known as MrAbelGLecter."

"From the chat room?"

Will nodded against Hannibal's chest. "He was sending inside info to Lounds, but he won't be causing us any more problems. Some poor housekeeping worker will find him and his confession in the morning."

Hannibal sat up, dislodging Will from his comfortable position. "Will. You should have just let the police investigate. I would've been released."

"Maybe eventually," Will said. "Or maybe they would've found something else. You were innocent of these murders, but you've got other skeletons in the closet. I wasn't going to risk losing you."

"Speaking of closets," Hannibal said as he lay back down. "You know the paparazzi will be swarming the hotel lobby tomorrow morning."

Will shrugged and settled into the crook of Hannibal's arm. "I don't care. I don't care that my agent is upset. I won't care if the rest of the tour is canceled, although I don't think it will be. The only thing I care about is being with you."

Hannibal kissed the top of his head.

Will made a happy sound that turned into a well-satisfied yawn. "I just got an idea for a new song."

"Oh?"

"It's about two people who see the truth of each other and fall in love," he said. "Nobody else in the world could ever know them the way they know each other."

"What will you call it?" Hannibal asked.

" _It's Beautiful_."

  
-end-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I apologize in advance if I don't reply to your comment. I try to, because I'm so thankful for everything readers say, but I'm very easily distracted and then when I come back I don't know what to say.


End file.
